From veggie patches to cricket pitches and wet suits to fire safety, Fonterra’s Grass Roots Fund is offering another round of funding for community projects in need of a helping hand.

The Fund is calling for applications for support ranging from $500 to $5,000 from groups operating near any of Fonterra Australia’s milk collection and seven manufacturing sites at Darnum (Gippsland), Stanhope (Northern Victoria), Dennington and Cobden (South West Victoria), Bayswater (Eastern Melbourne), Wynyard (North West Coast Tasmania) and Spreyton (North Coast Tasmania).

Fonterra Australia Managing Director René Dedoncker says the Fund is about giving a helping hand to groups who keep local communities in good shape through a wide range of initiatives.

“The dairy industry is built from the ground up. The Fund supports farming families and local communities. We’re lucky to have local communities with supporters who are prepared to organise events, dig gardens, volunteer for emergency services and coach kids’ sport. All these activities keep communities strong and the people in them healthy. By providing funds we’re supporting their work and giving back to the communities where we operate,” says René.

The Fonterra Grass Roots Fund has supported
over 340 initiatives since 2011, including the Friends of Mount Worth State
Park in Gippsland, who work with Park Rangers and hold regular working bees to keep
walking tracks clear through the giant forest and fern gullies for nature
lovers to enjoy. Grass Roots funding
helped them secure mowing and trailer equipment to keep the longer tracks open
for bushwalkers and trail runners.

Paul Strickland from Allambee, who was behind
the “Friends” submission says Fonterra’s Grass Roots Fund support really helped
to kick-start their fundraising efforts to secure the equipment.

“Without the voluntary efforts of the Friends,
many of the trails couldn’t be kept open for people to enjoy this unique area
of bushland. Our new equipment helps us to maintain the tracks more easily and
deal with fallen brush and path repairs. We hope to encourage a wide range of
people to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of being outdoors in nature,”
says Paul.

Who gets supported is decided by a committee
based at the local Fonterra site, working to three criteria. These initiatives
must bring communities together, for rural activities and events, support
healthy lifestyles such as sporting equipment for clubs and care for the
environment, such as recycling or gardens initiatives.

“We invite applications for grants once a year
and the funds we allocate are our way of saying thanks to people in the
communities where we operate. Their initiatives make for a happier and safer
area and that’s good for our people, our farmers and their families, and our
communities, so it’s a win all round,” says René.

Applications for funding remain open until
15th December 2017. Applications can be submitted online, and grant guidelines
and additional information is available at www.fonterra.com.au